Importance of macro- versus microstructure in modulating light levels inside coral colonies

Kaniewska, P; Magnusson, SH; Anthony, KRN; Reef, R; Kühl, M; Hoegh-Guldberg, O

Importance of macro- versus microstructure in modulating light levels inside coral colonies

Kaniewska, P Magnusson, SH Anthony, KRN Reef, R Kühl, M

Hoegh-Guldberg, O

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Phycology, 2011, 47 (4), pp. 846 - 860
Issue Date:: 2011-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kaniewska, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Magnusson, SH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Anthony, KRN	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Reef, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kühl, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1792-4790	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hoegh-Guldberg, O	en_US
dc.date.issued	2011-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Phycology, 2011, 47 (4), pp. 846 - 860	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0022-3646	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/14861
dc.description.abstract	Adjusting the light exposure and capture of their symbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium Freud.) is central to the success of reef-building corals (order Scleractinia) across high spatio-temporal variation in the light environment of coral reefs. We tested the hypothesis that optical properties of tissues in some coral species can provide light management at the tissue scale comparable to light modulation by colony architecture in other species. We compared within-tissue scalar irradiance in two coral species from the same light habitat but with contrasting colony growth forms: branching Stylophora pistillata and massive Lobophyllia corymbosa. Scalar irradiance at the level of the symbionts (2mm into the coral tissues) were <10% of ambient irradiance and nearly identical for the two species, despite substantially different light environments at the tissue surface. In S. pistillata, light attenuation (90% relative to ambient) was observed predominantly at the colony level as a result of branch-to-branch self-shading, while in L. corymbosa, near-complete light attenuation (97% relative to ambient) was occurring due to tissue optical properties. The latter could be explained partly by differences in photosynthetic pigment content in the symbiont cells and pigmentation in the coral host tissue. Our results demonstrate that different strategies of light modulation at colony, polyp, and cellular levels by contrasting morphologies are equally effective in achieving favorable irradiances at the level of coral photosymbionts. © 2011 Phycological Society of America.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Phycology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/j.1529-8817.2011.01021.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	en_US
dc.title	Importance of macro- versus microstructure in modulating light levels inside coral colonies	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	47	en_US
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology	en_US
utslib.for	0704 Fisheries Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	47	en_US

Abstract:

Adjusting the light exposure and capture of their symbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium Freud.) is central to the success of reef-building corals (order Scleractinia) across high spatio-temporal variation in the light environment of coral reefs. We tested the hypothesis that optical properties of tissues in some coral species can provide light management at the tissue scale comparable to light modulation by colony architecture in other species. We compared within-tissue scalar irradiance in two coral species from the same light habitat but with contrasting colony growth forms: branching Stylophora pistillata and massive Lobophyllia corymbosa. Scalar irradiance at the level of the symbionts (2mm into the coral tissues) were <10% of ambient irradiance and nearly identical for the two species, despite substantially different light environments at the tissue surface. In S. pistillata, light attenuation (90% relative to ambient) was observed predominantly at the colony level as a result of branch-to-branch self-shading, while in L. corymbosa, near-complete light attenuation (97% relative to ambient) was occurring due to tissue optical properties. The latter could be explained partly by differences in photosynthetic pigment content in the symbiont cells and pigmentation in the coral host tissue. Our results demonstrate that different strategies of light modulation at colony, polyp, and cellular levels by contrasting morphologies are equally effective in achieving favorable irradiances at the level of coral photosymbionts. © 2011 Phycological Society of America.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/14861